The Heart of Central Java – Yogjakarta, Indonesia

Yogjakarta is the most popular tourist destination on the densely-populated island of Java. And for good reason. This small city is home to sites exemplifying Indonesia’s multicultural history, including Hindu and Buddhist temples, sultans’ palaces and playgrounds, and old colonial forts.

We left the congestion, noise, and pollution of Jakarta behind, departing on an early morning train to be able to enjoy the scenery during the 8-hour trip past rice paddies, small villages, and smoking volcanoes.

Staring out the train window at the endless sea of rice paddies.

Staring out the train window at the endless sea of rice paddies.08-Aug-2011 11:03

The highlight – and the reason most people bother to visit – was the nearby ancient temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan. We booked a “sunrise” tour to visit both sites, and were picked well before dawn in a stylish VW bus in order to beat the crowds and the heat, while enjoying a spectacular sunrise from the top of Borobudur.

Our ride for the day to visit Borobudor and Prambanan.

Our ride for the day to visit Borobudor and Prambanan.10-Aug-2011 09:58

This Buddhist temple was built more than a thousand years ago, before the spread of Islam. The elaborate structure consists of thousands of carved statues and panels, situated around a three-level tiered temple. Amazingly, it was constructed entirely out of volcanic andesite stones, with no mortar used to join them together.

The multiple levels of Borobudor take pilgrims on a spiritual journey through the Buddha's life and teachings.

The multiple levels of Borobudor take pilgrims on a spiritual journey through the Buddha's life and teachings.10-Aug-2011 08:19

Since then, it’s been fully unearthed and restored. It’s still considered a holy Buddhist site, which attracts devoted pilgrims every year. In addition to the pilgrims, tourists flock here by the busload; Borobudor is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia.

A giant jigsaw puzzle. The stones that make up Borobudor's detailed reliefs fit together perfectly - no mortar was used.

A giant jigsaw puzzle. The stones that make up Borobudor's detailed reliefs fit together perfectly - no mortar was used.10-Aug-2011 07:46

Sadly, Prambanan has not withstood Indonesia’s regular earthquakes as Borobudor. Many of the temples remain off access to the public, and significant restoration work continues on these World Heritage structures.

Years of neglect, earthquakes, and volcanic ash have left Prambanan worse for the year.

Years of neglect, earthquakes, and volcanic ash have left Prambanan worse for the year.10-Aug-2011 12:45

On our way to the temples, we passed the mighty Mount Merapi. This large volcano, which literally means fire mountain in Indonesian, is the most active in Indonesia. Over the years, it’s been responsible for a lot of damage and destruction. It most recently erupted in December, 2010, and was responsible for hundreds of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from nearby Yogjakarta. As we passed this menacing volcano looked fairly tranquil, letting out only a steady stream of smoke from its crater.

Sunrise over Mount Merapi as seen from Borobudor. Indonesia's most active volcano.

Sunrise over Mount Merapi as seen from Borobudor. Indonesia's most active volcano.10-Aug-2011 07:11

Yogja is not only a city, it is also part of a regional kingdom, complete with a sultan and palace complex. After fighting off the becak (bicycle rickshaw) drivers and making our way on foot to the palace, we bought a ticket to visit the kraton (palace). Or, at least, we thought we were buying a ticket for the palace. We were a little confused as to why the entry price didn’t match the one we thought it would be. After an all-too-quick guided tour through some beat up old buildings (surely a sultan wouldn’t live here?), past a few scary-looking mannequins, and being shown a few photos, the guide shook us down for a tip and tried to get us to follow a “friend” to buy some batiks (traditional printed fabrics).

Fit for a sultan? The supposed "throne room" in the fake palace.

Fit for a sultan? The supposed "throne room" in the fake palace.11-Aug-2011 13:04

We then found out we had got snookered into the “fake” palace, with the real one just around the corner. We ended up buying tickets for the real palace, but with it already being late in the day, only had a short time to look around.

In addition to the modern day palace (fake and real), it’s also possible to visit the Taman Sari Water Castle. This series of underground canals, pools, and small buildings was used by previous sultans. Here, they would travel from the main palace complex using boats through the secret underground canals.

An entrance to the secret underground canals (now drained).

An entrance to the secret underground canals (now drained).11-Aug-2011 14:11

Since the sultans abandoned this sinful complex, squatters have moved in and a small village covers the historical site. A friendly local showed us around. Unfortunately, plans are in place to evacuate these villagers to restore the complex and offer more tourist facilities.

Having exhausted the sights around Yogjakarta after a few, we headed to the train station and bought a ticket to Surabaya, ready to explore a few more of Java’s attractions.

You can definitely do much cheaper; we decided to spring for a little luxury in this case (A/C, TV, internet). Since I work part-time while we are traveling, wifi is usually one of our requirements, which tends to price us out of the more budget digs.

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